Geographies of Change is a project which draws a new geography made up of places where organizations of different nature and origin are carrying out practices of real sustainability in the most diverse fields and sectors of the collectivity. Geographies of Change maps this movement into the form of a participative online archive.

The current process of transformation of every aspect of our life towards a higher level of individual and social responsibility, developed by the projects included in this constantly updated map and by many others not yet included, is thus made visible and above all accessible and therefore open to opportunities for connections and collaborations.

Since 2003, when at Cittadellarte we started to systematically catalogue responsible practices in their different declinations around the world, the global movement of social awareness has reached a wider and wider scope of individuals, communities and institutions.

The project Geographies of Change maps this movement into the form of a participative online archive which intends to be a utility contributing to achieving two strategic global objectives: making public, visible and usable the common good represented by the concrete experiences already active in the world, and facilitating connections, both within this geography and among its hubs and any other civil society organization with which to build bridges and collaboration paths.

Created by Cittadellarte and the University of Ideas as a platform for research and action, it aims at being an open project in progress, generated by the users themselves: everybody is invited to position themselves within this geography and to explore it experimenting its potential in the context of their own research and practice.

The ultimate goal of the Geographies of Change is making more obvious, shared, incisive and deep the impact of the practices aiming at changing our societies towards more responsible cohabitation models with ourselves and the planet. Each of us is invited to consider assuming a role which goes beyond being a member of a hypothetical democratic society and activating themselves as agents of change. At Cittadellarte, we have developed an articulated narrative and an hands-on implementation model for this process: we started off by reflecting within the open laboratory of the University of Ideas on the undelivered dream of democracy (rule of the people, from ancient Greek Demos and Cratos) and on the instituting power embedded in daily practices enacted by all kinds of organizations. Each of them constitutes an actual microstate, with its legislative and governing bodies: they perform practices by means of which they actually express power. Thus we coined the term Demopraxy, by which we mean this more effective and actual declination of an old and never accomplished dream, that of Democracy.

Cittadellarte is a new model of artistic and cultural institution which places art in direct interaction with the different sectors of society, in order to inspire and produce a responsible transformation through creative ideas and projects.

Michelangelo Pistoletto's symbol Rebirth is an elaboration of the mathematical sign for infinity. The two opposite circles represent nature and artifice, the central circle is the conjunction of the two and represents the womb of rebirth.
Take part too: www.terzoparadiso.org

It consists of using loopholes to subvert the immigration law through labour contracts, with the migrants and the art institutions.

At a performative level, it is set up as the traditional hide and seek game, but changing one rule: migrants are always those who hide and European citizens are always who seek. At the end of their labour contracts, the migrants have managed to obtain their work permit and residence permit. Hiding within an artistic project has allowed them to no longer hide in their day to day.My methodology innovates by thinking creatively how to use the law, allowing artworks to activate beyond symbolism, generating specific social transformations and expanding the political functions of art. By involving the institution of art and using its privileges, it goes from being a containing ‘object’ to an actively positioning subject.I am interested in expanding the project with the aim of stopping forced deportations that the EU and member states conduct through their utilitarian policies. Deportations are classist and racist institutional dynamics which make a permanent state of exception become a norm in the so-called ‘Human Rights respecting Europe’. In the face of the economic, social and political relations that protect and normalise these forced deportations, the project seeks to neutralise this repressive device through artistic practice, while challenging viewers by deconstructing the post-colonial standardisation regimes. The strategy would consist of signing labour contracts for one month, thus I would need the cooperation of the Fondaziones Pistoletto and Zegna, as well as other museums who want to become accomplices and work together with lawyers and activist groups which have already been contacted.

About the artist

I studied in Tania Bruguera’s Behavior Art Department. My research focuses on detecting the abuse of power that is performed by the institutions who govern us, from the legality they have set up and through the hegemonic morality. Flirting with established powers, art world privileges and complicity with different allies, are the resources on which I base my artistic operations, with the aim of subverting the power relations established. I also collaborate with different activists.